ODB Message
“New: Inside and Out”
By
Dave Branon
No one can
see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. John 3:3
A few years ago a publisher made a big mistake. A book
had been on the market for several years, so it was time for a makeover. The
author rewrote the book to bring it up to date. But when the revision was
published, there was a problem. The publisher gave the book a nice new cover
but printed the old book inside.
The exterior was fresh and new, but the interior was
old and out of date. This “reprint” was not really new at all.
Sometimes that kind of thing happens with people. They
realize a change needs to be made in life. Things are heading in the wrong
direction. So they may put on a new exterior without making a vital change in
their heart. They may change a behavior on the outside but may not realize that
it is only God who can change us on the inside.
In John 3, Nicodemus sensed that because Jesus came
“from God” (v. 2) He offered something very different. What Jesus told
Nicodemus made him realize that He offered nothing short of a rebirth (v. 4):
He needed to be “born again,” to be made totally new (v. 7).
That change comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.
That’s when “the old has gone, the new is here” (2 Cor. 5:17). Do you need a
change? Put your faith in Jesus. He’s the one who changes your heart and makes
all things new.
Lord, I now know that changes on the outside—behavior,
looks, attitude—don’t change me inside. I put my faith in Jesus, who died on
the cross and rose again to forgive my sins. Make me new on the inside—in my
soul.
How has your life been changed by Jesus? Share it with
us at odb.org.
Only God can make us new.
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